Sport is in the spotlight just about everywhere, as the Paris Olympics are a must. IMT Atlantique is not to be outdone: since its creation, the range of sporting activities has been one of its most attractive features, and Physical, Sports and Expressive Activities (PSEA) play a key role in the training of future engineers in all disciplines.
It is therefore with great enthusiasm that the institution is preparing to host, in Nantes, the Cartel, a major student sports event celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024, from April 25th to 28th.
At IMT Atlantique, sport is a compulsory teaching unit as it contributes to the development of inter and intra personal skills: 48 hours per year, integrated in the students' schedules for both initial and apprenticeship training on the 3 campuses.
Numerous supervised extra-curricular sports activities are also offered by the sports department in the evenings and on Thursday afternoons, with the sports association acting as a relay for these activities. Around thirty teams take part in university competitions on Thursday afternoons.
A progressive path for all courses
The courses are run by a team of teachers from the Department of Languages, Scientific Mediation and Physical, Sports and Expressive Activities (DELMA), who manages around forty contributors - some of them being high-level athletes - covering about thirty disciplines:
« We have set up an educational pathway with a progression over 3 years that enables the development of inter and intra personal skills », explains Loïc Mony, head of PSEA at the Nantes campus. « The aim here is to contribute to the development of these skills in order to train future engineers as civic-minded managers. This also involves learning sports techniques and managing individual and collective projects. While the first year is essentially about developing skills related to fitness and health, the second year encourages the development of interpersonal skills, particularly through individual and collective interaction activities. The third year focuses more on leadership and project management. » he explains.
Around thirty disciplines in very favourable conditions
« The geographic location of our campuses is an asset. It offers many outdoor activities », underlines Nathalie Marshall, head of PSEA at the Brest campus. « The banks of the Erdre, the Chantrerie park, our tennis courts in Nantes, the coastal path, the climbing site, the beach and the port in Brest, the wooded park in Rennes, are locations for multiple activities very close to the classrooms and accommodations. IMT Atlantique even has its very own sailboat, the Pogo, as well as sea kayaks, surfboards, squash equipment, mountain bikes, etc. The Brest and Nantes campuses are equipped with gymnasiums and outdoor fields. In Rennes, we have entered into an agreement to use those of other nearby establishments such as Centrale Supelec. »
The range of different activities is very broad: around thirty activities, some of which are specific to the location of the campus, which students really appreciate when they move from one campus to another, depending on their specialization on their 2nd and/or 3rd year. IMT Atlantique is also developing some popular new activities: paddle, padel, Double Dutch, callisthenics, flying disc, etc.
IMT Atlantique is proud to have almost 1,000 regular participants and 550 competition members.
« High-level sporting activities are also possible, with timetable arrangements» emphasizes Marie-Aude Leroux, head of DELMA. « Sporting activities contribute to the integration of international students during sporting and cultural events such as WAKE (World Atlantic Kelio Event), which brings together students in continental teams, as well as to the raising of awareness of disability through adapted sports sessions. »
The staff encourage students to take part in the weekly competitions organised by the University Sports Federation (FSU), as well as in numerous meetings and competitions that encourage interaction with other atheletes to enable their progress. The Cartel (see below) and the Atlanticup are among the flagship sporting events in which the institution regularly participates and even stands out.
Last year, IMT Atlantique won the title of French Sailing Champion and took part in a number of French championships (flying disc, volleyball, archery, cross country, swimming, rowing, judo, etc.). In February 2023, the Brest and Nantes rugby teams took part in the FFSU Inter-region championship, which was won by the Nantes team.
And at the end of February, in Nantes, the Pays de la Loire Flying Disc league, in conjunction with IMT Atlantique, organized the first university tournament to bring together teams of alumni who have already performed in this sport. This was an opportunity to see the 2012 French champion team...
From April 25th to 28th: the Cartel is played in Nantes
The Cartel will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2024! Organised by IMT Atlantique students in Nantes with the support of the institution, the event will bring together over 1,800 students and guest schools of the Mines Télécom network, from April 25th to 28th. Around ten French schools and international partners will be represented: Mines Paris, Mines Nancy, Mines Saint-Étienne, IMT Nord-Europe, IMT Atlantique, IMT Mines Alès, IMT Mines Albi-Carnaux, Emines, Oviedo and Bochum.
The competition promotes sporting values such as team spirit, respect, fair play and equity. It is also an opportunity for future engineers from different backgrounds to share a memorable and festive weekend... And for all the student delegations to parade through the centre of Nantes!
by Pierre-Hervé VAILLANT
